I didn't care for soccer either.....until I got invited to a watching party for the 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy. It was an Italian party, in a private room in an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica. It was a blast, and I had great conversations with people there about soccer vs. football, why soccer isn't popular in the USA, etc. Since then, I've enjoyed watching the game. I get into the World Cup every 4 years, and the English Premier League as well (Go Tottenham Hotspurs!). I am planning a trip to Europe, and I definitely want to go to a Premier League game while I am there.
I went to a Spurs game last year, great fun, and good seats were available (maybe tougher this year cause they're better)
Wow, you were converted from a 0-0 match after 120 minutes of play (90 mins of regulations, 2-15 mins halves of OT, and then penalty shootouts). That's not very common among non-soccer fans, especially one in America. That was actually one of the best scoreless matches ever, both teams went back and forth with many close chances to score. I watched Barcelona play Lazio in a friendly tourney in Holland back in 2000 and the atmosphere was off the hook, and that was just a friendly. I can only imagine the atmosphere of an actual league or champions league match like Man U vs Chelsea or Arsenal.
From someone who played American football, in Texas, through highschool and dabbled in College as a Prop for our Club Rugby team, your analysis is spot on.
Nothing like the atmosphere and fans at a soccer game, it will keep you coming back for more; no other sport even comes close.
Dude, we all know you are a soccer hater. No need to spew it all the time because I can run down a list of all the fan incidents that occur in american sports stadiums. unfortunately It happens. It is part of life. Get over it!
I cannot freaking wait for the WC. I'll be partying with my Brazilian & Polish peeps at whatever bars they gather. Any knowledge or wild-arse speculation on what time (US) the games will be played?
The Limeys didn't beat New Zealand at the 2004 World Cup. They kicked their way soccer-style to get the win over Australia. Screw them. The popularity of rugby skyrocketed in the UK after the win, just as cricket zoomed up on the public radar after they won the ashes.
My bad on whom they actually beat to win. I was drunk most of the games and it's been a couple of years. I agree that they did it pansy-style. It was all their backs, and they didn't do it the traditional grind-out punch-it-down rugby way. But they won using a different style, so you have to give them that.
I'm waiting for an American football player to get shot and killed after fumbling in the Super Bowl. When that happens, THEN I'll listen to all the "football fans are as bad as soccer fans" arguments. Or have a team pelted with piss bombs when running into the locker room for halftime. Or have a full-fledged riot (complete with police getting beaten up by spectators, tear gas, and riot cops) break out in the stadium. As to Kate, I've played both sports, albeit never at world-class competition. I'll freely admit that I had to be in better shape to play rugby. However, I definitely got hit harder and hit others harder while playing football. Helmets and shoulder pads do not give you a sense of "carte blanche" out on the field either. They are protective devices that are used to lessen the chance of injury. And, as guys like Mike Utley prove, they are still not 100% effective. I played on the defensive side of the ball my entire football career (16 years all told) and never used my pads as a WEAPON. No offense Rocketman, but if you take away enough padding to make defensive players "think twice", what do you think is going to happen? I'd be willing to bet that major and catastrophic injuries would increase. Players would be shying away from contact, and would try to protect themselves by tackling people in unfamiliar and awkward positions. Plus, if you hesitate on the football field you WILL get run over and hurt. Why do you think they developed all of the pads they wear nowadays? Back when they wore tiny shoulder pads and leather helmets people were getting killed.
Aussie Rules is just as tough if not tougher than rugby due to the fact that you can be hit from any direction at any time and you are non stop the whole match. Would love to see people attempting to take out this guy. 211 cm's and 281.6 pound and is still the 5th fastest over 100m in the team that consist of players anywhere from 170 cm
Please....if you going to bring Aussie Rules into this we might as well bring in ballet dancing....after all, ballet is about as tough as VFL.
Christopher, I tried to be respectful to your game, even though I can't stand to watch a minute of it. I'll try and stay on topic and don't want to to get into an argument with you, but if Aussie rules is like ballet, NRL is the equivalent of standing in front of a wall and trying to knock it down with your head! Dockerland - no disrespect to your man Sandlilands, but i reckon every linebacker in the NFL would eat him for breakfast, starting with Julius Peppers (6-7, 283lbs). There is just no comparison in the mobility. (and Dean Cox runs circles around him )
I guess you're right...but there are just as many incidents in american sports involving fans, they're just not as extreme and not as documented by the media. In american sports, its the other way around...the players are the deviants and criminals, not the fans.
You honestly don't think the media would be all over something like that? You must be kidding. I have a hard time believing this incidents are happening but the media is sweeping them under the rug. Virtually everything is televised somewhere these days. If something happened you would see it or hear about it.
I'm personally looking forward to the Texan/Titan games where one group of fans is waving the communist flags while the other half are waving Nazi ones.
